Take out your pilot logbook. Have you logged fewer hours this year? A slow economy will do that. Making the decision to pump that disposable income — don’t you love that term? — into your airplane’s fuel tank can be difficult, especially when the disposable-income pool isn’t what it used to be. Yet if airplanes aren’t flown, airplane maintenance costs almost always increase. When money’s tight, something has to give, and it’s usually flying time.
Do-It-Yourself Airplane Maintenance
Key Takeaways:
- Reduced flying due to economic factors can paradoxically increase aircraft maintenance costs; therefore, owners should either fly regularly or properly pickle their engines.
- Aircraft owners can substantially reduce maintenance expenses by performing permitted preventive maintenance (PM) tasks themselves, which include mechanical tasks (e.g., oil changes, tire maintenance) and avionics care (e.g., cleaning antennas, updating databases).
- Performing DIY maintenance requires strict adherence to Federal Aviation Regulations, using manufacturer-approved procedures and aircraft-quality parts, maintaining accurate logbook entries, and crucially, securing inspection by a qualified A&P mechanic for all work.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
